This invention relates to exercise devices, and more particularly, to a device for securing the feet of a person engaged in "sit-up" exercises. Sit-ups, i.e., exercises in which a person reclining on a horizontal surface secures his feet to that surface and uses his abdominal muscles to raise his upper body to a sitting position, are well recognized as a means of obtaining physical fitness, and especially as a means for maintaining a trim wastline. In order to perform sit-ups it is necessary that the person secure his feet to the surface on which he is reclining.
In a gym or other exercise room, securing the feet is typically achieved by hooking them under a stirrup which is fastened to the surface upon which the person is reclining, either the floor itself or an exercise table. However, such a stirrup is not available to the great number of people who perform sit-ups in their homes, since a stirrup fastened to the floor would be unattractive and a large exercise table would take up too much space. Therefore, it is a common practice to hook one's feet under a piece of furniture such as a sofa or a heavy chair in order to secure the feet to the floor during sit-ups. This solution has been unsatisfactory because the exerciser often must turn his feet sideways at uncomfortable angles in order to fit them underneath the furniture and, since the underside of the furniture is a planar surface, much of the securing force must be borne by the toes. As a result, sit-ups must be performed in great discomfort.
There is a need, then, for a device for securing the feet of a person engaged in sit-up exercises which can be easily stored when not in use.
One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,971. Shown in FIG. 4 of that patent is a device having a transverse bar for securing the feet during sit-ups. The bar is mounted on a frame having a U-shaped section which can be slid underneath a door to hold it in place. The user sits on a rocking seat at a level slightly above the transverse bar, hooks his feet under the bar and performs sit-ups aided by the rocking motion of the seat. Such a device, while more effective for securing the feet than heavy furniture, does present some problems. First, the transverse bar is fixed at a predetermined height and, therefore, cannot accommodate a variety of people of different sizes. It is apparent to one experienced in the art of sit-ups that if the foot securing bar does not fit snugly against the lower leg of the user, the sudden upward surge of the torso at the beginning of each sit-up will cause the user's legs to suddenly and quite painfully strike the bar. Second, the U-shaped section of the frame is of fixed dimensions and, therefore, can only be used on a door of precisely the correct thickness. If the U-shaped section fits at all loosely it will rock back and forth, causing annoyance to the user and damaging the door. In order to prevent this problem of "rocking", the U-shaped section must fit quite snugly around the bottom of the door, with the result that it would be difficult to install and remove without scraping or otherwise damaging the surface of the door.